Combustion-engine.



W. A. SORG.

COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 27. IsII.

Patent-ed Sept. 14, 1915.

gag., N N Ik? INI 4WILLIAM A. SORG, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FREDERICK G. BRADBURY, TRUSTEE.

coiviBUsrIoN-ENGINE.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

Application filed October 27, 1911. Serial No. 657,057.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Sono, a citizen of -the yUnited States, residing at Minneapolis, yin the county of vHennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Combustion-Engine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved com- -bustion engine andis adapted to `develop power more efliciently under variations of fuel supply than hertofore.

ith my invention theffuel charge, inert gases and a volume.r of air are formed in separate strata in the combustion chamber of the engine duringva compression stroke, the stratum of air being inversely proportionate in amount tothe stratum of fuel fcharge under variations in the amount of the latter. In this manner when the amount of load or fuel charge is changed, the compression of the charge owing to the unchanged volume in the .combustion chamber remains uniform and in consequence the etilciency, reliability and edectiveness of operation of the engine is increased. Furtherthe stratication of the fuel, air and inert gases causes the entire contents of the combustion chamber to be heated and expanded evenly and aided by the -progressive action of combustion in the engine delivers a constant force to the moving element thereof during its working stroke. n

In describing my improved engine reference will be made to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification in which- Figure 1 is a sectional detail of a combustion engine-'constructed in accordance with my invention and showing 'the parts in position after anintake or charging stroke of the reciprocating member; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l showing-the parts atthe completion of a compression stroke, and F ig. 3 is a sectional detail of an alternative construction which is adapted to be operated by my process.

In the drawing A is a hollow stationary piston having, on its outer end a valve chamber B, an ingress `valve C for admitting a hydrocarbon mixture into the valve chamber,`an exhaust valve D for the egress of the products 'ofcombustion after a mixture charge has been consumed,` and a Yspark plug E having a point of ignition inthe valve chamber. Mounted upon the piston Atageous results A is areciprocable cylinder F connected to an operating vcrank arm G in the usual manner and having 'in'its outer `end an ingress valve for receiving air into the cylinder during each intake stroke thereof. The air intake valve H andthe fuel intake valve C are of such relative size asto admit such proportions of air and fuel in the combustion chamber as will give the most advani according'to kind and quality of fuel mixture in carrying out my process, a thumbnut J threaded on the valve stem K of Valve C serving to vary the tension of Vvalve spring L and regulate the action of valves C and'I-I. The air inlet valve H Vcan be'dispensed with when desired, such construction being set forth in my companion application' filed on the 22nd day of March, 1911, bearing Serial Number 616,159. The portion I ofthe piston chamber leading from the valve chamber B into the cylinder isY shown funnel 4shaped opening toward the reciprocable cylinder the reduced lend of the funnel opening into the valve chamber B and' being less 1n cross-'sectional area at that point` than the cross-sectional area of said valve chamber.

During a charging stroke hydrocarbon mixture is admitted through the fuel ingress fvalve and forms in a stratum in the combustion chamber, Afrom the previous cycle also forming in a the inert gases remaining stratum at the forward end of the stratum of -fuel mixture. Simultaneously with this action air admitted through the air ingress valve also forms in a stratum adjacent the column of inert gases on the side opposite the fuel mixture stratum, thus filling the chamber. The compression' stroke of the cylinder following compresses the strata of fuel charge, inert gases and air. Ignition of the prime `charge follows on dead center or as desired and the heat developed by the fuel charge assists in expanding the air and inert gases causing a force progressive in ing a continuous force against the moving member during the power stroke, avoiding excessive heat losses and preventing the development of a spontaneous wave detonation and excessive shock. Variations in fuel supply are compensated by the admission of air through the air .ingress valve'in inverse proportion to the amount of fuel charge admitted thereby causing an even and constant compression of the fuel charge irrespective of the amount of fuel and load. For clearness the stratum of mixture charge is represented by dots O in the drawing, the stratum of inert gases by crosses I?, and the stratum of air by circles Q.

A The bore or diameter of the piston or tube is vless than the bore of the cylinder thus causing the surface of the fuel stratum in contact with the stratum of inert gases to be minimized when under compression, reducing the tendency of the hydrocarbon fuel charge to mix with the inert gases and pure air and leaving the contents of the combustion chamber under compression assembled Vinseparate strata and in position to perform the most effective results under variations of load upon the engine with scarcely any shock or jar.

The valve chamber being larger than the .tubo ahead of it, enough gas is expanded on dead center to very materially raise the average pressure of the contents of the combustion chamber and to retain such pressure as the piston moves forward. The effect of firing a portion of the charge at the end of the tube is to compress the carbureted gases beyond the valve chamber against the strata of inert gases and air and to heat and expand them. After combustion of the fuel charge is completed the heated air and inert gases continue to exert pressure until the power stroke is complete. During the following stroke the usual scavenging of dead gases in the combustion chamber takes place.

'The invention can obviously be applied in essential features to two cycle operation as well' as four cycle as described. lBy using Vrelatively pure air in the combustion chamber in inverse proportion to the amount of fuel which is used a low average temperature is maintained making the use of the Y'long tubular combustion chamber eliicient and warping and distortion of the valves negligible,

In Fig. 3 theengine is illustrated as having a reciprocable member inthe form of an inside piston M and a stationary member in the form of an outside cylinder N these parts corresponding respectively with the inside stationary piston A and with the outside cylinder F above described and being adapted to operate in accordance with my invention. The use of the terms piston and cylinder is therefore relative and it is inj tended that either term-isapplicable to the phere and as a result a hot tube is produced in which heavy fuel oils such as kerosene and crude oil and light oil such as gasolene and alcohol are adapted to be efficiently and effectively vaporized. A

-In the various forms of this invention the combustion chamber tube is of less inner diameter, thanthe diameter of the borev of the reciprocable member F, (see Fig. l) and than the diameter of the bore of the outside cylinder N, (see Fig. 3), and the tube I is of sufficient length to contain the entire fuel charge before ignition. The working space of said piston7 as used in the claims following is the space defined by the inner end'of the tube, the inner end of the reciprocable member and the bore of the reciprocable member F, in the construction illustrated in Fig. l, and the space defined by the inner end of the tube, the inner lend of the recipro- Y cable memberand the bore of the stationary cylinder N, in the construction illustrated in Fig. 3. I

' Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: l

l. A combustion engine, comprising, in

combination, a piston and cylinder in reciprocable connection, one of said members having a valved end portion adapted to admit air into the space within said members dury ing the intake stroke, and the otherV member being formed with a long tubularcombustion chamber valved to admita fuelvcharge and exhaust spent gases and adapted to contain the entire fuel charge before ignition, the inner diameter 'of said tubular structure being materially less than the diameter of the working space of said piston,.whereby the contents of said working space and the mixture charge in said tubular chamber are yprevented. from mixing before ignition.

2. A combustion engine, comprising, 'in combinatiomapiston and cylinder inreciprocable connection, one of said members having a valved endportion adapted 'to admit air into the space within said members during the intake stroke and the other iio iaol

ciprocable connection, one of said members having a valved end portion adapted to admit air into the space within said members during the intake stroke and the other member having a long tube forming a combustion chamber leading from the working space of said piston and terminating in a valve chamber, mixture inlet and exhaust valves seated in the frame of said valve chamber, said combustion and valve chambers being adapted to retain an entire charge of fuel mixture in the form of a column previous to ignition and exposing a comparatively Vsmall surface area to the contents of said working space to reduce tendency of the fuel charge mixing with air admitted into said working space, said valve chamber being larger in cross sectional area than the adjacent portion of the tube ahead yof it, and means for igniting the contents of said valve chamber while the fuel mixture in said tube and the air in said working space remain in separate strata.

4. A combustion engine, comprising, in combination, a piston and cylinder in reciprocable connection, one of said members being valved to admit air therein, and the other of said members being formed with a long tubular combustion chamber valved' to admit a fuel charge and exhaust spent gases and adapted to contain substantially the entire fuel charge before ignition, the

inner diameter of said chamber being materially less than the diameter of the working space of said piston, whereby the contents of said Working space and the mixture charge in said tubular chamber are substantially prevented from mixing before ignition.

5. A combustion engine, comprising, in combination, a piston and cylinder in reciprocable connection, one of said members being valved to admit air therein, and the other of said members being formed with a long tubular combustion chamber valved to admit a fuel charge near one end and exhaust spent gases and adapted to contain substantially the entire fuel charge before ignition, the inner diameter of said chamber being materially less than the diameter of' WILLIAM A. SORG. Witnesses H. L. FrscHnR, F. G. BRADBURY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

